What each political party plan to do for domestic energy and the environment

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With the election being held tomorrow, it’s worth noting what each party plans to do in regards to domestic energy and the environment. At the end of this year there will be UN climate change talks in Paris, this year is of particular importance as this election will decide who represents the UK in December. Each party has taken a different approach to the issue from UKIP planning to ‘immediately repeal the Climate Change Act’ to Labour stating that climate change is at the heart of their foreign policy. Electricity bills are at the heart of most campaign pledges. Labour says it will freeze energy bills until 2017 if it wins the next election, but the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats argue this is unrealistic because of the unpredictable costs of gas and other fuels. UKIP says it would abolish green taxes and charges with the aim of reducing fuel bills.

Below outlines the main pledges from each of the parties.

Conservative:

Protect the environment and Green Belt in the planning system

Spend more than £3bn to 2020 improving the environment

Phase out subsidies for new onshore wind farms

Invest £500m over the next 5 years towards making most cars & vans zero emission vehicles by 2050

Labour:

Freeze energy bills until 2017 and give energy regulator new powers to cut bills this winter

Reduce carbon emissions generated during electricity production to zero by 2030

Prioritise flood prevention

End the badger cull

Lib Dems:

Double renewable electricity by 2020, aim to decarbonise the power sector by 2030, leading to a zero carbon Britain by 2050

Plant 750,000 trees a year

Charge for plastic bags

Promote use of electric cars and public transport

UKIP:

Repeal the Climate Change Act 2008

Protect the greenbelt

End so-called “green taxes” to cut fuel bills

Prioritise support for organic farms

Green:

Phase out fossil fuel based energy generation and nuclear power

Reduce all UK greenhouse gas emissions to 10% of their 1990 levels by 2030 to tackle climate change

Invest in renewable energy sources, flood defences and building insulation